The Harlow Report-GIS
2023 Edition
ISSN 0742-468X
Since 1978
On-line Since 2000
first published week of: 02/27/2023
Government Considers Whether AI Can Invent Something Patentable
by Kirsten Errick
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office seeks public comments on the intersection of artificial intelligence and inventorship.
As artificial intelligence is used more and more to innovate, the United States Patent and Trademark Office is looking to address the question of whether AI can be listed as an inventor on a patent, according to a Federal Register notice published on Tuesday.
While the USPTO aims to incentivize and protect innovation, including those achieved with the help of AI, the agency is interested in public insight on “the current state of AI technologies and on inventorship issues that may arise with their advancement, especially as AI plays a greater role in the innovation process.”
The filing is a continuation of the agency’s exploration into AI issues. For example, the USPTO formed the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies—or AI/ET—Partnership in June 2022 to give stakeholders opportunities to share ideas, feedback and experiences. The agency is examining other ways to inform future efforts on inventorship and promote AI-assisted innovation.
Read full story at NextGov…